North Korea’s ceremonial Head of State Kim Yong-nam will lead a delegation to South Korea this week – the first visit of its kind in years. However, it is unclear whether he will attend the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in South Korea on Friday, the BBC reported.

The presidium of the North Korean Parliament, who has no relation to Pyongyang’s leader Kim Jong-un, will be in the South with a 22-member delegation for three days, Seoul announced.

Athletes from both countries will march under one flag during the opening ceremony at the Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium. The development is being viewed as a step towards improving the strained relations between the two Koreas, after months of heightened tensions over the North’s nuclear and missile programmes.

Pyongyang’s head of state is expected to meet South Korean President Moon Jae-in during his visit.

The development comes after days of discussion between South Korea and the nuclear-armed North. Seoul has been wanting to promote the Winter Olympics as a “peace Olympics” amid volatile relations and tensions over the North’s weapons programmes, AFP reported.